Reversible film magazine



Filed March 5, 19158 Patented Dec.l 24, I

l ,i l f' IJFIIFED` ,ff/STATES PATENT OFFICE l s l 2,226,362

e C REVERSIBLE FILM f v f Herbert Lio-ya Williams, Akromohio ,i ,iApplication March 5, 1938, Serial No. 194,154 .l l I s claims. (ci.ss-isi s l This invenfftion relates; to nlm magazines for mittingexposure of the left-hand side of the motion picture cameras,` and theircombination lm. `with the camera, [and more particularly to the Fig. 6is a detail elevation of the masking slide. type of amateur ca'mera andmagazine which suc- Fig. 7 isa detail side elevation, partly inseccessively takes two rows f pictures on one width tion on the line 1-1of Fig. 3, vwith camera door 5 of film strip whose length may becomparatively clcscd, ShOWillg ccnnecf/cd Darts Of a dcvlcc, 0D- short,suon as 25 feet, the double-width nlm, for orated bythe camera door, forholding stationary example, b'eing 16 millimeters wide and one-half theShaft 0f that T011 Which iS acting aS the or 8 millimeters being usedfor each row of pic- Supply roll, to furnish a drag 0n the latter dur-10 tures. i' f ing operation. 10

Heretofore it. has been common to recharge In the drawing, i0 is the boxor casing of the the Camiers. for every* length of mm exposed,lmmagazine comprising aback wall Il and. edge either by taking out,turning over and remount- Walls l2 Open 0n the from Side and tted W 1thme the; heuxposed rou to make it ready for a flanged detachable coveri3. these'parts being l5 the oth/er heu te be exposed, er by inserting aheld together by screws I4 in a pair of spacer 15 fresh uiiexposed roll.This requires threading ofy posts and by 0p1mg"members and Screws at ythe nlm through the parts of the camera before the ends of the severalrouhaftsr any pictures can be taken, and involves the wast- Botatablymounted withm the Casing are a ing orifogging of several teet of nlm ateach end pim' of duplicate .mus qpools or Qms I5 f.0r run' of theirouwhich makes the procedure awkward ning the lm strip i6 into, and out ofcoils such 20 and uioubiesome to users and objectionable be as i1, andthe usual intermediate feeding sprocket Cause ,of costly Wasteee. rollor drum I8, whose teeth enter the perforait is the vgodersi object ofmis invention to ons i Opposite edges of the mm Stm together with twopairs of idle nlm-guiding presser rolls 223;8;;tngvggpgfsglehaflmfofrgaif I9, 20, coacting with the surface of thesprocket 25 roll to hold the nlm in feeding engagement with width to beturned end'for'end' and coupled up the latter, said film being permittedto assume in a reverse manner to the driving mechanism of f- 1 thecamera so that the magazine need not be the customary form of a pair ofOops amenor and posterior to the exposure opening at the left Opened andreloaded' except for example at the in Fig. l, and an intermediatestraight portion 30 factory, ai'ter the film is fully exposed, thereby mpassing seid Opening avoiding the foregoing difficulties. A particu- Thebodies of the Seeelells are mounted en lar object is to provide improvednlm feeder lock- Shaft-s 2| each having at one end a uted er ing meanscontrollable by insertion and removal toothed, positive or jaw malecoupling member o of the mm magazine as Wm more fully appear 22 screwingas a n'ut on a threaded, reduced end 35 in the detail description. MYinvention remedies of the shaft as seen in Fig 3 and a thimble 23defects m 9110'1 devices 0f '0h15 type which have which is rigidlymounted in the adjacent casing not come into commercial use, so far as Iam wan H or |3 and has a bottom tted to a awareduced journal neck on theshaft, said coupling 40 0f the accompanying drawing. members being atopposite ends of their respec- 40 Fis. 1 is a side elevation. partly inSection. tive shafts. The end of the shaft opposite to 'Showing a lmmagazine cmbcdyil'lg my llvenon the coupling member is rotatably anddetachably in a preferred form. held on the adjacent casing wail by thehead of a Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section in offset planes, journalscrew 24 fitted in the end of the shaft.

apDlcXimatclY 0n the lnc 2-2-2-2 0f Flg- 1- A driving or a retardingfriction, as the case may 4.5

Fig. 3 ls a horizontal section in offset planes, be, is created betweenthe body of each ro11 l5 approximately 0n the line 3333 0f Fig. 1, andits shaft 2| by means of a ball 25 occupying thIOllgh the magazine andOpcllcd camera in a a circumferential groove 26 in the shaft and partlyseparated relation. pressed radially inward against the shaft by a 5oFis. 4 is a partial elevation of the exposure spring 21. Tho body ofsprocket roll I8 is fixed 50 edge of a magazine, showing its maskingslide in on a shaft 28 having at each end a detachable the initial orleft-hand position, to permit exmale coupling member 22n similar to themembers y posure of the right-hand half of the film strip. 22, locatedin recessed thimbles 23HL in the op-Y Fig. 5 is a similar view showingsaid slide posite casing walls similar to the ones 23.

shifted to the final or right-hand position, pera When the magazine isoperatively mounted in 55 the camera, sprocket roll I8 is free to bedriven by the spring motor of the camera, but when'said magazine is outof the camera, said roll is held from rotation so as to maintain theedge perforations 29 of the film strip in position for registering withthe lm-feeding claw of the camera by positive interlocking meanscomprising a blade-like latch tip 30,.seen in Figs. 1 and 3, fittingbetween teeth 3I which are formed in, a circumferential row in the waistof the sprocket roll. Tip 30 is formed on the inner end of a plungerstem 32 of square section, forwardly projected by a spring 33, Thelatter occupies the interior of a cylindrical plunger base 34 and acomplemental guide 35 therefor which is fixedly mounted in the backedgefwall I2 of the magazine casing.

'I'ne plunger stem 32 works with a light-cxcluding fit between the innerends of a pair of aligned guide tubes 36 fixed respectively in thecasing back wall I2 and cover I3, and said stein is formed with atransverse through aperture 3l having a double cam retracting surface 38at the rear side thereof, for coaction with a retracting member on thecamera to be later described` In the front side of the edge wall I2 ofthe casing is formed an exposure opening 39 of double the width reouiredfor a singlerow of pictures, and immediately in back of it works theusual manual shutter or blind (not fully shown) operated by a button 40whose stem works in a vertical slot 4I. Such operation could beautomatically performed by movement of the camera-box door 58hereinafter referred to, as described in my prior application Ser, No.180,604. filed Dec, 18, i937, Back of the opening and slide are theusual pair of guide plates 42 for the nlm strip, forwardly pressed by aflat spring 43, and back of the latter is a spring plate 44 whose endsact as forward pressers for the film strip adjacent the two loopsthereinl On the outer side of the front edge wall I2, above and belowthe exposure opening 39, are mounted a 'pair of spaced parallel guides45 for retaining the upper and lower edges of a laterally movable thinplate or masking slide 46 which blanks off one-half of said exposureopening and the corresponding one of the two feeder claw openings 4l.This slide is formed near one edge with a crescent-shaped nger-naildepression 48 for drawing the slide from the position shown in Fig. 4toward the cover I3, whose flange I3" at that point is spaced from theWall I2 to admit the margin of the slide. The last part of such movementmay be completed, if necessary, by the finger nail applied to thelefthand edge of said slide, bringing it into the position representedin Fig, 5. The finger-nail depression 48 is then back of the coverflange I3l which is widened with a lip 49 to complete the coverage. Thisis in order that the loaded magazine may be sent out from the factorywith its slide 46 in the position shown in Fig. 4, and after exposingone-half of the film\strip, said slide may be moved to the positionshown in Fig. 5 and not thereafter inadvertently moved by the user backto its original position. For retention of the slide 46 in one or theother of its positions, its two lower corners are arcuately notched at50 to receive the inner end of a latch pin 5I which is carried at theupper end of a spring latch arm 52 whose lower end is riveted at 53 onthe casing wall I2. Also at the upper end of arm 52 is a for pullingsaid end finger-nail tab projection 54 outwardly to release the latchpin when slide 46 is to moved.

Referring to Pigs. 3 and 7, 55 is a camera box containing, on one sidethereof, a spring motor 56, and on the other side formed with anadjacent recess 51 for receiving the .film magazine. said recess beingclosed at its front side by a hinged door 58. On the front edge Wall ofthe box is mounted a lens 59 at the outer end of an exposure opening 60which aligns with the magazine exposure opening 39 and is controlled byan automatic shutter 6I. The latter is timed with the film-strip feedingclaw 62, and both are op erated by the spring motor in the customarymanner.

The upper one of the spools I5 in Figs. l and 2 operates as the take-uproll, to which is connected the leading end of the lrn strip from a coilon the lower roll I5. The shaft 2| of said upper roll, frictionallydriving the roll body through the ball 25, is driven by the spring motor56 through a motor shaft having a socketed or female toothed couplingmember 63 whose teeth engage with those of the male coupling member 22on said roll shaft. The inwardly facing one of the coupling members 22on the shaft of the sprocket roll I8 likewise engages with a drivingfemale coupling member 63El on the end of an* other power shaft of thespring motor. When an exposure is being made and the lm strip wound intothe coil Il on the take-up spool I5, overrunning of the film from thelower spool I5, acting as a supply roll, is avoided by holding the shaft2l of said lower roll from rotation and a1- lowing the ball 25 to imposea frictional drag upon said lower spool. To automatically hold andrelease said lower shaft by the closing and opening movement of the door58, the latter is provided with a segment 54 of a female toothedcoupling for engaging the teeth of the male coupling 22 adjacent to themagazine cover I3.

For retracting the latch tip 30 from engagement between the teeth 3| ofthe film feeding sprocket roll I8 when the magazine is inserted in thecamera box by a relative movement axially of the magazine rolls,including roll I8, there is provided a pin or post 65, mounted on thewall of the spring motor 5B, within the recess 5l, in line with theaperture of the inwardly-facing one of the guide tubes 36, and having apointed cam end 66 for engaging the adjacent cam face 38 on the plungerstem 32 and forcing the latch tip radially, away from 'the teeth.

For informing the user of the footage of unexposed lm remaining on hissupply roll and preferably also to indicate the type or character of thefilm, the reversible magazine of this invention requires duplicateindicators mounted on opposite walls of the casing. These may be of anysuitable character, as disclosed in a general' way, for example, in myprior application Serial No. 180,604, led Dec. 18, 1937, and partlyillustrated herein, the indicator on the far side in Fig. 1 including afeeler arm 6l yieldingly projected against the film coil Il on thetake-up roll. A back stop 68 controls the travel of said feeler. 69 isthe Window for the indicator of the near side, back of which itsnumbered dial swings, and surrounding which`is an escutcheon 'l0 adaptedto bear asuitable marking or insignia for the type of iilm in themagazine.

In the use of this invention, the magazine is loaded, preferably at thefactory, with an unexposed film strip I6 on the supply spool I5 which isthe lower one as viewed in Figs. l and 2,

" zine ready for use.

the cam post 65 to release the usual manner, it registers threaded overand between various guiding and feeding members I9, 20, I8, 42, 44, andits leading end connected with the upper or take-up spool I while latch30 is retracted, as by a pin through the hole 31, the blind slidecontrolledby button 4I) will be moved down between the film and theexposure opening 3B, the masking slide 46 moved over to the left as seenin Fig. 4, the latch 30 released to lock the ratchet roll IB, and thecover I3 closed and fastened by screws I4 and 24 and coupler nuts 22 and22, making the magal Insertion of said magazine in the camera box 55connects the coupling members 22 and 22El of the take-up roll I5 and thesprocket roll I8 with the complemental driving members 63, 63 of thespring motor 56, it causes the latch 30, and, in the feeder claw 62 withthe inner one of the openings 41 and the corresponding row of filmperforations 29. The camera door 5I! may then be closed, locking theshaft 2l of 4the lower or supply roll I5 by connecting its couplingmember 22 with the toothed segment 64 on said door to impose a drag uponthe film, and causing the slide operated by button 40 to beautomatically withdrawn by the means of my aforesaid prior application,or otherwise, as previously indicated, to uncover the opening 39 andprepare for the taking of pictures.

The camera having thus been made ready for operation, exposures are madeon one side of the film in the usual manner. After the full length offilm has been run ofi', causing stoppage of the supply roll attached toits rear end, the camera box is opened, the magazine reversed by turningit end-for-end about a middle horizontal axis as viewed in Fig. 1, andmasking slide 46 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 5 after liftingits latch pin 5I, and relocked by-the latch in that position. Themagazine is then reinserted in the box and the latter closed, whereuponthe roll which was acting as the supply roll becomes the power-driventake-up roll, and vice versa, and the sprocket roll I8 is driven at itsopposite end, thus reversing the travel of the nlm with relation to themagazine casing and permitting a row of exposures on the remaining halfof said It will be evident that my invention avoids the trouble andwaste heretofore attendant upon the use of double-width film strip. ltis contemplated that the described form of embodiment could be variouslymodiiied without departing from the scope of the invention as defined inthe claims.

I claim:

1. Photographic apparatus comprising a moving picture camera, a, filmmagazine reversibly mounted therein and having a feeding sprocket, acircumferential series of locking teeth on said sprocket, a retractablelatch for engaging said teeth, a pair of guide tubes flanking saidlatch, and a latch-retracting cam pin on the camera insertible ineitherof said tubes by the opera tion of mounting the magazine in the camera.A

2. A reversible film magazine for motion picture cameras comprising acasing, a pair of film coil rolls therein, a film feeding sprocket rollin said casing, driving means at opposite ends of the sprocket roll forconnection with complemental means on the camera, a latch for holdingsaid sprocket roll against rotation when the. magazine is out of thecamera, and means exposed for actuation from either side of the magazinefor retracting said latch.

3. Photographic apparatus comprising a moving picture camera, areversible film magazine,

means to reversibly support the magazine in the f camera, said lmmagazine including a casing,

a film feeding sprocketwithin said casing, aretractible latch forholding the sprocket vagainst rotation when the magazine is out of thecarnera, means in the casing forretracting the latch, means tok exposesaid retractible means from either side of the magazine, and aprojection on the camera for extending into said exposing means when themagazine is in the camera for actuating said retractible means torelease the film sprocket.

' HERBERT LLOYD WILLIAMS.

